Hallowed Be Thy Name Three-year-old Hallowed Dreams sprinted into the record book with her 16th straight win

As Dr. Hugo Z. Hackenbush in the screwball comedy A Day at theRaces, Groucho Marx played a sanitarium director with a darksecret: His degree was in veterinary medicine. After taking thepulse of a human patient, Dr. Hackenbush announced, "Either he'sdead, or my watch has stopped."

Last Saturday in the 11th race at tiny Louisiana Downs nearShreveport, the hearts of 7,123 spectators stopped for 1:09 4/5while a dark bay filly named Hallowed Dreams covered sixfurlongs. The three-length victory was the undefeated3-year-old's 16th straight, tying the modern American record setby Citation in 1950 and equaled 46 years later by Cigar."Hallowed Dreams and I are true Cajuns," said Lloyd Romero, hertrainer and co-owner. "We've brought the record to Louisiana forthe Louisiana people."

Romero is the screwiest of the cast of screwballs surroundingHallowed Dreams. The bluff, gruff onetime state trooper is bestknown as the father of jockey Randy Romero, who made his namewith the great Personal Ensign. That filly retired in 1988 at13-0, a distaff standard Hallowed Dreams surpassed on June 3 ina $30,000 handicap at Evangeline Downs.

As stubborn as a talking mule, Lloyd refuses to race HallowedDreams in a graded stakes or outside Louisiana. "If horses fromother states want to challenge mine, they can come here," hesays. "Last I checked, planes flew in both directions."

In fact, no Romero nag has left Louisiana since 1975, the yearhe took his unbeaten quarter horse, Rocket's Magic, to NewMexico for the All-American Futurity. With 16-year-old Randy inthe saddle, the 2-1 favorite finished third. Two months later,Rocket's Magic broke down and had to be destroyed.

The sad tale inspired the 1978 movie Casey's Shadow, in whichthe character based on Lloyd was played by that old railbirdWalter Matthau, who died on July 1. "Walter probably looked downexcitedly on Hallowed Dreams today," Romero said after hervictory on Saturday. "If an angel can pee in his pants, Walterprobably did."

Romero and partner Johnny Gaspard bought Hallowed Dreams for$15,000 as a 4-month-old, sight unseen. Her sire, Malagra, was asplendid sprinter who set the New Orleans Fair Grounds'ssix-furlong record (1:08 4/5) in 1990. Romero had wanted his sonto ride her last year, but the two were estranged, and Randy wasabout to retire."He forgot I'm his daddy and told me no," saysLloyd. "Well, shame on him. Now I've broken his record."

Hallowed Dreams's riders seem to have walked out of the pages ofa Dick Francis novel. First up was C.J. Woodley, a jockey turnedsteward turned jockey. After an eight-length romp in the filly'smaiden race, Woodley was supplanted by Billy Patin, who in thespring of '99 was suspended for five years for using anelectrical device on Valhol, the first horse to cross under thewire in last year's Arkansas Derby. Patin galloped to a4 1/2-length victory in a five-furlong race and handed the reinsto Sylvester Carmouche, known as Fog Jockey for taking amist-shrouded shortcut to the winner's circle aboard LandingOfficer at Delta Downs in 1990.

The crafty Carmouche had skipped part of the first lap of a milerace by hiding his 23-1 long shot on the backstretch in thickfog. When the other jockeys approached on the second lap, hebolted ahead, out of sight, to a 24-length victory. Fifteenminutes later stewards disqualified his horse. Carmouche wasbanished for 10 years and served more than eight years of thatsuspension before his license was reinstated.

With Carmouche aboard, Hallowed Dreams has held the lead atevery call but one, a Fair Grounds sprint in which she wassecond at the half-mile mark but which she wound up winning by 71/4 lengths. On Saturday, in a field of only four, the 1-9 shortshot broke on top and quickly got clear. She led by four lengthsat the quarter pole, 3 1/2 at the half and five down thestretch. The $24,000 purse upped her career earnings to a modest$390,429.

Romero says he has been offered $2 million for the filly butisn't selling. "I don't need the money," he insists. "It takes$4,000 to bury somebody, and I got that. What more do I need?"

He plans to go for the record on either Aug. 20 or Sept. 17 atLouisiana Downs. "With this horse, nothing's impossible," hesays. "She's a gift from God."